Animal Minds; how much can we learn about them? (Animals)

by David Turell , Monday, December 14, 2015, 18:13 (3266 days ago) @ xeno6696


> Matt: Why can't the explanation be simply that weaver birds are subject to not just genetic and epigenetic evolution, but behavioral evolution as well? If we start with the assumption that the weaving is behavior that is picked up on by birds watching other birds, it is a fact that if bird A watches bird B build the nest with some quirk, that the quirk would at least be partially copied? -As I pointed out to dhw, if you look at the pictures of the complex knots, it would require a bird to inventively sit there and watch the nest-builder weaver at his task. And this presumes the entire nest building is known, since a half a nest is no nest at all.
 
> Matt: And to play devil's advocate, how much intelligence is really in copying behavior anyway?-Not much. Young animals are taught this way all the time.
> 
> Matt: There's no need here for an assumption that the plan for the weaverbird's nest is somehow embedded in the first ever living thing. In fact, if you're not careful here about how you define how this information is stored, we can disprove the idea.-Tell us how.